Draft appliance.



0 ATKINSON. DRAFT APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1909.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

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W .2 v 4 0270 inf/M541 UMTED TES PATENT on o OTTO ATKINSON, F. ADRIAN,

MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. B. ATKINSON,

OF ADRIAN, MISSOURI.

DRAFT APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9 1909.

Application filed. March 22, 1909. Serial No. 485,054.

} for vehicle tongues, and pertains more particularly to the double-tree and its mounting.

One of my objects is to provide a draft appliance which is adj ustable, so that it may be fitted to tongues of different sizes, and is self-contained so that it may be applied to tongues without the use of extraneous fastening devices.

In order that the invention may be fully understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows a broken perspective of a tongue equipped with my improved draft appliance. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the tongue withmy draft appliance in position thereon. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line IIIIII of Fig. 2.

1 designates a vehicle tongue of ordinary type, curved at its rear portion 2, and provided at its rear end with a curved crosspiece 3, having eyes 3 whereby it is pivots ally secured to the front axle of the vehicle in the customary manner. Cross-piece 3 is reinforced by braces 4, secured at their forward converging ends to the sides of the tongue, as shown inFig. 1.

5 designates a double-tree which consists of an arched section 6, and a straight section 7 the ends of which are connected by bolts 8 upon which the swingletrees 9 are pivotally mounted. By arching section 6, it places the terminals of the double-tree down in the line of draft which extends from eyes 3 to the points where the tugs are attached to the collars of the team, and hence there will be no tendency to force the tongue up or down.

10 designates an adjustable supporting device which is adjustable both vertically and longitudinally to fit tongues of different sizes. Said supporting device consists of an upper front section 11, a lower rear section 12, and an intermediate section 13. Section 11 is rightangular in form, and its upper horizontal portion extends rearwardly beneath the tongue to which it is connected by a bolt 14, which also extends through the,

arched section 6 of the double-tree, and

pivotally connects said arched section to the tongue.

The Vertical portion of section 11 has a series of holes 15, which register with a like series of holes 16 in section 13, so that the {same may be adjusted vertically on section 11 to which it is secured by a bolt 17 adapted to enter any of said holes. This connection permits the device to be lengthened or shortened vertically so that it may fit tongues having more or less curvature at their rear portions 2.

Section 12 is secured at its rear end to the curved cross-piece 3 by means of U-bolts 18, said rear end being bifurcated so that the U bolts may be arranged on either side of the tongue terminal, and thus avoid the necessity of drilling holes through the tongue or the cross-piece and thereby weakening the same. The front portion of section 12 has a series of holes 19, which register with a series of like holes 20 in section 13, so that the device may be lengthened or shortened longitudinally to fit tongues of various lengths between cross-piece 3 and the bolt 14. After the device has been adjusted longitudinally, sections 12 and 13 are connected by a bolt 21, adapted to pass through any of the holes 19 and 20.

Section 13 is provided with a hole 13 in vertical alinement with a hole 11 in section 11, to receive a bolt 22 whereby the lower section 7 of the double-tree is pivotally connected to the supporting device. By arranging bolts 14 and 22 in vertical alinement, the two sections of the double-tree are free to swing thereon without binding as would be the case if the bolts were not in vertical alinement.

Bolt 21 is relieved of shearing strain by a hammer-strap 23, connected at its ends to bolts 21 and 22.

From the above description it is apparent that my draft appliance can be readily applied to any ordinary tongue without drilling holes thereon, or otherwise weakening the same, and in order to remove the appliance to repair or replace parts thereof, it is I lower bifurcated rear terminal, an arched double-tree section, a bolt adapted to extend through said section, the tongue and the rearwardly extending portion of the support, another double-tree section pivotally secured to said support, and means for securing the rear bifurcated end of the support to the cross-piece of the tongue.

2. The combination with a vehicle tongue, of a support comprising a plurality of sections whereby said support may be lengthened or shortened both Vertically and longitudinally, means for removably securing said support to the tongue, and a double-tree comprising two sections, one of Which is pivotally secured to the tongue and the other to the support.

3. The combination with a vehicle tongue, of a support comprising a plurality of sections whereby said support may be lengthened or shortened both vertically and longitudinally, means for reniovably securing said support to the tongue, a double-tree comprising two sections one of which pivotally secured to the tongue and the other to the support, and swingletrees pivotully mounted between the ends of said doubletree sections.

In testimony whereof I uflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

OTTO AlKINS( )N. lVitnesses F. G. Fisonnn, M. Cox, 

